In the May issue of The Far East we read about Sr Mary Dillon who works and cares for people living with AIDS in Myitkyina, Northern Myanmar. In 1995 I was fortunate to meet Sr Mary Dillon in Korea and then again in 2004 in Myitkyina. She is the person of Christ to the people.
What a difference it makes to have seen her in action, her story comes to life. The people in her care that are living with AIDS live simply, and suffer greatly from illness and exclusion. Fear is a potent force which can change good-hearted people into people with hearts of stone.
We are witnessing this reality around the world. People are fleeing their own countries where war, ethnic and religious discord make life too dangerous. Countries are constantly resisting the movement of these refugees and boat people. Unlike desperate refugees fleeing their countries, the suffering AIDS patients in Myanmar have nowhere to go.
Pope Francis has declared a Jubilee Year of Mercy beginning on The Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8) and concluding on the Feast of Christ the King ( November 20, 2016). Sr Mary has been practicing mercy all her life as a Columban Missionary Sister and nurse. She is the human face of mercy. She is Christ's face of mercy and her touch is that of His hand.
People continue to live their faith in good times and bad times. It is the lived experience of Christ's followers, like Sr Mary Dillon, who change the people's hearts and invite them to become disciples.
Fr Gary Walker SSC
director@columban.org.au
Read an article by Sr Mary Dillon: AIDS Angels
or
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